President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, says the Bolgatanga-Bawku Road, which has been left unconstructed for several decades, will be completed by the end of December 2020.
According to President Akufo-Addo, “the Bolgatanga-Bawku-Polimakom road, which has been the subject of many unfulfilled promises, the latest by the NDC presidential candidate, then President, John Mahama is now being visibly tackled, and will soon be completed.”
Addressing the Upper East Regional House of Chiefs on Thursday, 8th October 2020, as part of his 2-day working visit to the Upper East Region, the President told the gathering of Chiefs that the first day of his working visit had seen him visit the site of the construction.
”Indeed, fifty kilometres of the 96.5 kilometre road has been finished in first class condition, and is now in use. The remaining 46.5 kilometre, according to the Minister for Roads and Highways, that instrument of development on our country, is scheduled to be completed by December,” he added.
Another major project ongoing in the Upper East Region, the President said, is the Pwalugu Multi-Purpose Dam, “the largest investment in the entire northern sector of our country since independence.”
Once completed, President Akufo-Addo stated that “the eight hundred and eight million-dollar ($808 million) project, whose funding has been fully secured, will help the Region not only to increase its generation of electricity for development, but will also, finally, put paid to the perennial flooding menace that has ravaged the Region for decades.”
As part of Government’s Agenda 111, which seeks to build District Hospitals in Districts without hospitals, in the course of the next twelve (12) months, the President stated that Government will construct District Hospitals in seven (7) Districts without them in the Upper East Region.
“They are Binduri, Builsa South, Kassena Nankana West, Nabdam, Pusiga, Bolgatanga East and Tempane districts. The hospitals will have a 100-bed capacity, fully equipped, with appropriate accommodation for medical personnel, i.e. doctors and staff,” he added.
Giving an account of the principal activities undertaken by Government in the last 3½ years in the Upper East Region, the President indicated that there are 1,488 projects being executed in the Region, with 688 completed, and the remaining 800 ongoing.
“Out of the 688 completed projects, 94 are in the educational sector, 20 in the health sector, 13 in the roads sector, and 269 in the water and sanitation sector. The 800 ongoing projects comprise, amongst others, 71 in the educational sector, 17 in the health sector, 13 in the roads sector, and 495 in the water and sanitation sector,” he added.
On the matter of the language of instruction being employed in schools in the Upper East Region, President Akufo-Addo stressed that “I have asked the Minister for Education, Hon. Matthew Opoku Prempeh, to work with the Ghana Education Service and the University of Education, Winneba, to ensure that Grune becomes one the languages used for teaching and learning in schools in the Region”.
Reiterating his Government’s support Government will continue to support the Chieftaincy institution so it can be strong and resilient, the President stated that six new office complex and bungalows would be provided the six new Regional Houses of Chiefs.
“Additionally, as I have said, we would strive to give to the institution the requisite support to resolve chieftaincy matters, and carry out research in the many areas of relevance to curb chieftaincy related conflicts,” he said.
The President reinforced the commitment of Government to ensure the peace and stability of the nation, in the run-up to the December elections.
“Ghana has rightly earned a reputation as the pacesetter in democratic governance on the continent, a reputation I am determined to uphold, and, indeed, enhance prior to, during and after the 7th December elections. I would need, of course, your full collaboration and co-operation to help attain this end. We have all to work together to create the environment that will allow the Ghanaian people to make their decision on 7th December in freedom, peace and security. It is their right,” President Akufo-Addo noted.